In the summer of 2021, my partner and I did the trendy thing and purchased a brand new Winnebago Solis Pocket camper-van from Colonial RV which our 4-year old daughter named Dead Rat (city kids, I tell ya). Of course, jumping on the #vanlife bandwagon comes with a learning curve. We’ve made more than one mistake, aka #vanboner, along the way, and thought I’d share some of the biggest ones to help other newbies avoid a similar fate.
#vanboner 1: Tunnels & Parkways
Learning post-purchase we can’t drive wherever we want in the New York area was a real eye-opener. We live right by the Lincoln Tunnel which is off-limits because we have propane on board. Parkways are also technically verboten due to low bridges (our van is 9’ 6”). We’re often forced to drive well out of our way to get to our destination costing time and fuel.
Before purchasing our van, we had rented a similar model for a long weekend in Maine and this issue never came up. It seems obvious in hindsight, but it was a limitation that was never on our radar until after we had committed.
#vanboner 2 – Drive-thrus
Yet another height-related no-go for Dead Rat is drive-thrus. Your typical Wendy’s or Starbucks has an upper limit around nine feet. No bueno. We once successfully did the walk of shame through a McDonald’s drive-thru in Easton, PA but it’s more trouble than it’s worth.
During the pandemic we have encountered several establishments with closed dining rooms offering drive-thru only. We had no choice but to drive away hungry.
#vanboner 3 – Street Parking
Sticking with the height theme, our biggest mistake so far was street parking in Philadelphia. We wanted to visit the Italian Market but didn’t want to pay the $15 to park in a lot. We found what we believed to be the perfect spot in a cute neighborhood a couple of blocks away that only required backing in vs. parallel parking. A real godsend.
While backing up, I do recall the sound of a few tree branches brushing against the top of the van but didn’t think too much about it at the time. It was only three days later looking at Dead Rat from a distance that I noticed something seemed off. At first, I thought it was a reflection from the sun. On closer inspection, I saw there was significant damage on the edge of the van above the sliding door. It even tore off part of the seam which would likely allow water into places it’s not meant to be.
Long story short, the damage was about $9,000 making it the most expensive free parking spot of all time. Thank goodness for insurance but our premium could take a hit as a result.
#vanboner 4 – Stink Bugs
We stayed at an incredible Harvest Host on the top of a mountain in the Poconos. Amazing.
What was not amazing were the stink bugs. I wasn’t too familiar with this invasive species so didn’t think too much about the fact that they seemed to take a liking to the outside of our van. What I came to learn was that they liked the inside even more. They had a good time finding every nook and cranny they could. A favorite spot seemed to be deep in the velcro of our window covers.
Despite trying several methods of extermination, we continued to get surprise stink big cameos for the next several months. To this day we occasionally stumble across a carcass. The good news is they are largely harmless. And having killed more than my fair share, I never actually detected a stink.
The mistake here was not taking them more seriously when we first noticed them and doing a better job keeping door and windows shut. It was almost worth it for the sunrise, however!
#vanboner 5: Tire Repair Kit
Fun fact: The Winnebago Solis Pocket does not come with a spare tire. It does, however, come with a tire repair kit from the good folks at Mopar.
Very early in our van owning days, we took a day trip out to the Rockaways for some beach time. On the journey home, the tire pressure warning light illuminated so we pulled into some random gas station to investigate. Unfortunately, the air pump at this facility was broken so we figured we would try the kit.
Figuring ‘how complicated could it be?’ I plugged it into the van’s 12V power and connected it to the rear tire that seemed to need a boost of air. Turns out there is a simple but critical knob. Turned one way it will emit air into your tire. Turned the other way, it will spray a white goo all over the place and scare the crap out of you. Needless to say, my phaser was set to goo and this stuff went everywhere. Turns out it’s silicone that will patch the tire from the inside, but I learned that the hard way.
We’re about 7 months into our van owning journey and these are some of the biggest van life mistakes we’ve made so far. By we, I mean mostly me. While I’m sure they won’t be the last, they are far outweighed by the fun memories we have created in Dead Rat.
If you’re lucky enough to own a camper-van, what is your biggest #vanboner?
Sensible Sweater 